Best parts of 2010

We're just days away from a new year, which is hard to believe because it feels like 2010 just flew by.  Of course, the ironic thing is during the majority of 2010, I was wishing for it to go by quickly so that our wedding day could get here, but still...the year did go by rather quickly.  This year was a particularly blessed year for us, and I hope 2011 brings us just as many blessings as 2010. 

This year, I was lucky enough to marry the best friend, the love of my life, and my soul mate all in one person.   He is everything I dreamed that I would find someday and more.  September 18th was hands down the happiest day of my life.  It was a day that went by way too quickly (as many people warned me it would), but it is also a day that I replay over and over again in my mind.  The look in T's eyes as I walked down the aisle towards him, the first time we got to see each other that day, is one that I will never forget. This day alone has made my year the best one ever.

2010 also brought me to the happiest place on earth....The Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Ireland. 

See how happy I am?  I was like a kid in a candy shop.  But no, seriously, I always dreamt of going to Ireland on my honeymoon, and how lucky was I that the man I married shared the same vision?  Going to Dublin was a dream come true.  The whole trip was absolutely amazing.  The country is so beautiful, the history, the architecture, the people...all of it amazing.  It was a trip of a lifetime, and one that I was lucky enough to share with my best friend. 

While 2010 did bring T and me Mousegate 2010, Parts 1 and 2, ending with the assassination of Damion the mouse on November 24, 2010, it did bring us to another huge step we took this year....

We're building a house!  This is something we've talked about since we moved in together, and while it's always been something in the back of our minds...that last invasion of the squirrel in the bedroom and mouse in the kitchen was the push we needed towards home ownership.  And it's not just any house but one we get to custom build.  We've picked out our design options, and I've chosen my dream kitchen...we're just days away from having our first meeting with the builder, and then they will break ground.  We're looking at a move-in date of late April to early May.  We couldn't be more excited!


Lastly (and not least), in 2010, I have found my way back to the things I loved before but somehow lost touch with along the way.  Back in May, I started this blog as a way to get back to writing.  Soon, writing the blog lead to working on my very first manuscript.  Along the way, I met up with several awesome writers out there who are now a part of my critique group and who have given me some great advice and encouraged me along the way.  Back in June, I also signed up for viola lessons on a whim, after some encouragement from T, of course.  I have been playing since then, and I have every intention of keeping it up.  I am nowhere close to performing in an orchestra or anything, but that is my ultimate goal.  However, 2010 was quite a year in getting back to following my passion and doing the things I love. 


So, see what I mean when I say this has been a blessed year?  Sure, it has had its share of ups and downs, but overall, I couldn't feel happier or in a better place.  Here's to another year and more adventures along the way!